Dragoman

Dragoman lies on the main road that connects the capital city of Sofia with the Kalotina border check point at the Bulgarian-Serbian border. Dragoman has existed as a town since 1969. It has a customs and a railway station, and represents an important border checkpoint. Dragoman has inherited a Roman transport hub, called Meldia. The name of Dragoman is met in historical documents dating to the 16th century.

Until recently, the Dragoman Karst Moor that lied nearby the town attracted thousands of migrating wild birds. The moor was drained and dried some 30 years ago, however, which reduced significantly the number of birds nesting there.

In 1930, draining was initiated of the wetlands in Bulgaria, and they were turned into agricultural lands. The Dragoman Marshland was drained by 11 draining channels and a pumping station, and the life inside it was terminated for a long period of time. After the draining process was stopped, restoration of the ecological condition of the Dragoman Marshland was started in the beginning of the 1990s. Nowadays, the population here is revived and is gradually returning to its normal rhythm.